


Not Jealous, Just Envious

by magicsophicorn



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-13
Updated: 2015-07-13
Packaged: 2018-04-09 04:29:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4333910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicsophicorn/pseuds/magicsophicorn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jealousy is when you're worried someone's trying to take what you have, however <i>envy</i> is when you want what someone else has. <i>That's</i> what Emma Swan feels.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Jealous, Just Envious

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Swan Queen Week Day 2 - Jealousy
> 
> **Warning for those that strongly dislike it - there is a fair amount of Outlaw Queen in this one!**
> 
> I don't know what happened man, it just got way angstier and more unrequited than I was aiming for... I'm sorry. (The ridiculous levels of Swan Queen fluff in my Day 4 fic will more than make up for this, I swear!)

Regina could feel someone watching her. It was a familiar unpleasant tingling at the base of her neck. She turned subtly, scanning the diner for the source of the feeling. Her eyes settled on Emma sitting over at the counter, who quickly looked away, but not before Regina noticed the frown on her features.

Before she could think too much of it, Regina felt strong arms circling her waist and the smell of pine needles invading her senses.

"I'm sorry my love but it's time I bid you goodnight," Robin murmured, kissing Regina's temple before leaning in to capture her lips.

Regina sighed into the kiss, feeling all over again that sense of wonder that someone could feel this way about her after all she'd done.

"Goodnight Robin, sleep well," she said as he pulled away from her, holding on to her hand until the last moment as he walked away.

"You too my dear, I'll see you tomorrow."

Regina watched him leave for a moment before turning and heading over to the counter. She needed to find out what was wrong with Emma.

Sliding on to the stool next to Emma, Regina was reminded of a time not so long ago when Emma had done the same thing for her after Robin had left town.

"Shots?" She asked, the corners of her mouth quirking up into a smile at the memory of that night. She glanced next to her, Emma was smiling but looking down at her hands.

"As long as you don't try to give me a hope speech."

Regina turned her body slightly to face Emma.

"And what would I need to give you a hope speech about?"

Emma chuckled softly.

"Nothing. Nothing."

Regina knew better than to push. She was getting to know Emma quite well, and if she didn't want to talk about whatever it was that was bothering her, then there was nothing Regina could do about that.

Just then their shots arrived. Emma raised hers in the air, holding it towards Regina for a toast.

"To your happy ending," she said, smiling softly again.

Regina frowned slightly in confusion at the unexpected toast, but clinked her glass and downed her shot nonetheless.

\-------------------

Regina grunted as she hefted Emma up the stairs to Snow's apartment. She'd had far too much to drink herself to be doing this, but Emma had apparently had more.

Emma giggled and sat down suddenly on the steps.

"Emmaaaaaaaaa," Regina groaned, "come on, we're nearly there."

Emma closed her eyes and leaned against Regina's leg as she stood on the step next to her.

"Why couldn't you just poof us there?" Emma said with a pout, still keeping her eyes closed.

Regina rolled her eyes.

"I told you, I don't drink and magic. I would probably poof us into the ocean by mistake."

Emma laughed. She didn't open her eyes or make any attempt to stand. Instead she looped an arm around the leg she was leaning against, so that she was sort of half hugging Regina's leg.

"Are you happy, Regina?" Emma asked softly, her fingertips tracing lazy circles on Regina's calf.

Regina stared down at her. She felt a rush of warmth and affection for her friend who cared so much about her happiness. In a way it felt even nicer than having Robin love her, because Emma didn't seem to want anything from her, whereas she was supposed to make Robin happy too. Or perhaps all of that was just the alcohol.

"Yes, I'm happy. You adorable idiot," Regina murmured, not noticing that she was running her fingers through Emma's hair.

Emma made a noise that Regina couldn't quite tell if it was a laugh or a sob, but before she could ask Emma lurched to her feet, using Regina's leg to help her up.

"Emma!" Regina cried, "You almost pulled my skirt down!"

Emma cackled as she stumbled towards the apartment door. As she reached it, the door flew open to reveal a very annoyed looking Snow.

"Shame I didn't manage it," Emma muttered as she stumbled past Snow into the apartment.

Regina gaped in shock as Snow nodded to her and shut the apartment door.

Shaking her head, Regina decided that without the burden of a drunken saviour she would probably be safe enough to use magic. Raising her arms Regina transported herself back to the mansion.

\-------------------

Regina frowned in confusion. She couldn't understand why Emma was being so, well, _mean_. She had seemed fine earlier when they had had lunch together. But now she was being downright snippy. It was unlike Emma.

"I just think…" Robin tried to explain himself but was cut off by Emma interrupting.

"No, Robin. Your opinion on this really isn't worth anything, given your history with Zelena."

Robin's face turned red and he looked like he was about to argue, but Regina placed a hand on his arm to stop him.

"Robin would you mind giving us a minute? I need to talk to Miss Swan."

Emma scowled and hunched down in her seat. Robin opened and closed his mouth like he wanted to argue but eventually he nodded.

"Very well. I should get back to Roland anyway."

Regina barely noticed as he stood and left the diner, all her attention was focussed on the sullen woman sitting opposite her.

"Out with it Emma, what's the matter with you?" Regina demanded.

Emma refused to look at her.

"Nothing, I just don't think he's the best person to help with this, that's all," she huffed.

"No, Emma I don't buy that," Regina pressed, needing to get the bottom of this, "I'm not stupid. You're not like this with anyone else, what do you have against Robin?"

"You mean aside from the obvious?" Emma said, her voice practically a snarl, "The fact that he chose his wife over you, managed to wait all of 10 minutes before getting her pregnant and then refused to believe you when you tried to warn him that she wasn't actually his wife after all? You mean apart from all that?"

Regina was taken aback by the vehemence in Emma's voice.

"But…" Regina wasn't really sure what to say to that.

"He's my happy ending…" She eventually finished, squirming in her seat. It sounded pathetic, even to her.

Emma threw up her hands in frustration.

"I just think you deserve better," she said, letting her hands fall back down to her sides. She looked so sad. "You deserve someone who chooses you over everyone else, heck you deserve someone that you've chosen too, not someone who was forced on you by pixie dust, or whatever."

Regina stared at Emma in shock. There was a niggling thought in the back of her mind brought by Emma's words and actions that refused to go away, despite its apparent absurdity.

"Emma… are you… _jealous_ of Robin?" Regina asked slowly, although she felt more sure of it with every word.

Emma looked like a terrified deer caught in the headlights and Regina thought she might get up and make a run for it. Emma's face then went through an impressive array of emotions in a very short time. First she looked sad, then apologetic, then resigned, and finally, much to Regina's confusion, she smirked.

"No Regina, I'm not jealous," she said, and Regina frowned. "Jealousy is when you're worried someone's trying to take what you have. However, _envy_ is when you want what someone else has. So actually, I'm envious of Robin. Really fucking envious."

Regina was shocked. Both at what Emma was saying, and also at the fact that she had just been given a vocabulary lesson from _Emma Swan_ , of all people.

How could Emma be envious of Robin? How could Emma want _her_? Regina's mind was reeling.

"I'm sorry Regina," Emma sighed, "I know you're happy with him, and that's more important than my feelings. So I'll try to be more polite to Robin in the future. I'm sorry."

Emma stood and headed towards the exit and Regina realised she hadn't said anything at all.

"Emma, wait!"

Regina stood and Emma paused, turning back to look at her. She looked so sad again. Regina realised she had no idea what to say.

"Emma, I…"

"It's alright Regina. I'll see you around, yeah?"

Regina couldn't shake the feeling of loss that overtook her as Emma left the diner and walked away into the night.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Please feel free to send me prompts on here or on [tumblr](http://magicsophicorn.tumblr.com).


End file.
